Sardines, or pilchards, are several types of small, oily fish related to herrings, family Clupeidae.[1] Sardines are named after the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, around which they were once abundant.[2]

The terms sardine and pilchard are not precise, and what is meant depends on the region. The United Kingdom's Sea Fish Industry Authority, for example, classifies sardines as young pilchards.[3] One criterion suggests fish shorter in length than 6 inches (Template:Convert/cm)Template:Convert/test/A are sardines, and larger ones pilchards.[4] The FAO/WHO Codex standard for canned sardines cites 21 species that may be classed as sardines;[5]FishBase, a comprehensive database of information about fish, calls at least six species "pilchard", over a dozen just "sardine", and many more with the two basic names qualified by various adjectives.